


Secrets in Unlikely Places

by NestingHedwig_aka_LinW



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Reality, Creature Fic, M/M, OCC Characters, minor cross dressing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2015-02-28
Packaged: 2018-03-15 16:28:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3454055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NestingHedwig_aka_LinW/pseuds/NestingHedwig_aka_LinW
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Ministry of Magic, the Wizengamot, and the Pureblood Alliance enforce an expulsion of witches and wizards with creature inheritances from magical society. Those exiled must find a way to survive on their own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secrets in Unlikely Places

**Disclaimer:** The story is based on characters created and owned by J.K. Rowling, various publishers including, but not limited to Scholastic Books and Warner Bros. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended; no monetary gain will be made from this story.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
 _"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you_  
because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.  
Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."  
\- ROALD DAHL

 

Severus Snape unlocked the front entrance of the bar he managed, the first shift dancers hurrying in, shaking the rain from their colorful umbrellas. It had been raining for the greater part of the day and showed little sign of letting up any time soon. No matter, he thought; any patrons that braved the deluge would be inclined to hunker down and not travel from bar to bar.

"Sorry we're late, Mr. Snape. It won't happen again." The tallest of the women giggled. "Siobhan couldn't find her rain boots."

He waved them on, returning to the tasks at hand. It wasn't as if there was a line out the door waiting for the place to open. Glancing at the Guinness Beer clock above the bar, he strode toward a panel of light switches and flicked on the signs announcing that the bar was now open for business.

Severus stepped out beneath the black awning to ascertain that the exterior signs were in proper working order. Vandalism was always a constant threat. The neon green "Go Go Girls!" sign flickered to life in a cycle that first illuminated the word "Go" before blinking to the second "Go" and finally "Girls!", flashing "Go Go Girls!" several times before cycling through the pattern once again. 

How absolutely tasteless, he thought, and how utterly Muggle. 

He noticed that a few of the small clear light bulbs in the second sign, "The Dragon's Den," were flickering and would need to be replaced. He watched the lights reflect in the puddles lining the darkened street. The rain did not seem to have reduced the number of vehicles crawling down the pavement in search of open parking. Glancing at the numerous establishments, facing both sides of the street in the seedy red light district, he smirked.

No one would ever think to look for Great Britain's premier potions master in this sleazy Muggle neighborhood.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Severus looked up from his newspaper as three off-duty Muggle policemen entered "The Den" for a few drinks to wind down after their shift. Two of them, rookies, barely acknowledged him; their distain at what they thought he represented barely concealed. The third officer, a veteran and a semi-regular, gave him a surreptitious wink. It always paid to be friendly with the local constabulary. 

He folded up the newspaper, his dark eyes taking in the whole of his domain. Two of his dancers performed on stage to songs by one of the current Muggle divas; he didn't bother to keep track of the singers' names because all of it sounded like drivel to him anyway. Others were sitting at the bar, on display for the patrons, and a final dancer was tucked into a shadowy booth drinking a fruity concoction bought by her target of the evening. Severus would have to keep an eye on that pair, especially if it threatened to turn into something else.

Admittedly "The Dragon's Den" was a go go bar, but Severus liked to think it was a cut above the strip clubs that shared the block. His dancers did not fling themselves around a brass pole while stripping down to their undergarments or even less. His "girls" kept their private bits covered, thank you very much, in their Snape-approved costumes of micro-mini dresses or crop tops and shorts or skirts. Leaving nothing to the imagination cheapened everyone involved, he thought.

At "The Den," you could order a drink, watch the "girls" dance, talk to the "girls," and buy them a drink. Tips were always appreciated. Severus knew the patrons thought he was pimping out his "girls" but he was not. He was very protective of his ladies and his lady-boys. As a Leglimens, he always took at least a surface scan of every patron that entered his door. If he had even the slightest doubt about a customer's intentions, he would send a mental suggestion that they push aside their drink, settle their tab, and leave immediately. Severus did not encourage prostitution; he left it up to the individual dancer whether or not they wanted to date a particular client or simply perform sexual favors, but if Severus did not approve of a dancer's prospective tryst, the dancer did not leave with him. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
The evening was proving to be busy, despite the pouring rain. Along with a number of off-duty police and firemen, there was also an impromptu going away party attended by workers from one of the nearby factories, and the usual smattering of regulars.

Severus' eyes drifted to the entrance where an expensively dressed man was exchanging words with the door man. Could the man actually be arguing about paying the cover charge, he wondered. Finally, the bouncer pointed toward Severus' designated booth. It was then he noticed the man was accompanied by a small, oddly dressed blonde woman. She was wrapped around the man as if she could not stand on her own.

As the duo approached his booth, Severus' eyebrow rose. What were pureblooded Draco Malfoy and Luna Lovegood doing in the Muggle world, and more importantly, what were they doing in "The Dragon's Den?"

Luna's confused pale blue eyes darted around the darkened bar, freezing when she saw the dancers on the stage and heard the catcalling of drunken men. She looked uncertainly at Draco for a moment before abruptly holding her hand over her mouth and bolting into the ladies' loo. Two of the dancers immediately followed the tiny blonde into the restroom to offer assistance, if necessary.

Nothing much missed his "girls," he thought proudly, but Luna's actions had also captured the attention of several of the police officers as well. One of them stood up with the intention of assessing the situation, but Severus held his hand up and the officer sat back down.

"Draco," Severus hissed. "What are you doing here?"

Draco's Slytherin mask slipped as he looked around the room. Looking uncomfortable and out of place in the working man's bar, he gingerly slid into the booth as if afraid to touch anything.

"Luna needs sanctuary, and I didn't know where else to go." Draco leaned over the table so that only Severus could hear him. "The Ministry had Xeno Lovegood Kissed this morning. They have been trying, ineffectively, to censor _The Quibbler_ since the Purge was carried out. He kept writing editorials and articles defending creatures and creature rights as well as blasting the Ministry, the Wizengamot and the Pureblood Alliance for their expulsion of witches and wizards with creature inheritances."

Severus ran his hand through his long black hair. Xeno Lovegood, though always slightly mad, had been a staunch supporter of those victimized by the Ministry's Purge and would be missed. Severus sighed.

"Has Miss Lovegood been charged with any crime?"

"No. She's only wanted for questioning at this time. The Ministry searched Lovegood's Rookery, but could not find the paid subscription lists for _The Quibbler_ or the printing presses. They suspect that Luna has hidden them somewhere."

"And has she?"

"Actually, I think they might be in her left pocket. She felt unnaturally lumpy."

"The Ministry is looking for her. Her father has been given a Dementor's Kiss. She's possibly carrying contraband...and YOU thought it a good idea to bring her here?" Severus rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What the hell is the matter with you? You've brought the Ministry to my doorstep."

"The Ministry doesn't know where you are, Severus. We have flooed through four fireplaces, apparated twice, and used a goblin-made portkey given to me by Ragnok himself. Hell, I don't even know where we are."

Draco looked around the bar. It didn't look any better at second glance either. 

"Maybe this was a bad idea. We should leave." Draco said. Severus just glared at him."Is Luna still in the loo?"

"No. She's with Harry." 

"Potter's here?" Draco asked, incredulously. "But I thought you hated him."

"Exile changes your perceptions, and alliances can form between the most unlikely of characters," Severus replied matter-of-factly.

"But that's just it. Students at Hogwarts always said you were a vampire, but I know you don't have creature blood. You weren't exiled. You chose to leave on your own, so you can return at any time..." He gestured toward the bar room. "I can't believe you left brewing for...this."

" I can brew anywhere, so there is really nothing requiring me to physically return. I have no desire to support a society that would exile more than a quarter of their population due to circumstances of birth, and then turn around and attempt to prosecute the same exiles for breaking the Statute of Secrecy when they were never taught how to blend into the Muggle world in the first place."

Draco opened his mouth to refute his former head of house, but closed it when he spied a slender figure wrapped in a long white apron head toward the booth. He looked up quizzically as a well manicured hand placed a platter of food and a beverage in front of him.

"Eat, Malfoy."

"What is this?" Draco demanded, trying to identify the vaguely familiar person who seemed to know him. And then he recognized the emerald green eyes. 

"Potter."

"Luna tells me you saved her life this morning, so thank you. She also told me you side along apparated her across the country twice today. You need to rebuild your magical stores, so eat." Harry placed silverware and a paper napkin beside the plate. "And in case you can't identify such a plebian menu, Malfoy, it is baked chicken breast with a side of steamed veg."

"How is Miss Lovegood?" Severus asked, cutting off any possible rejoinder from Draco. "Was it wise to leave her alone?"

"She's not alone. Sally Ann's(1) with her. We've given Luna a Calming Draught and a plate of the chicken and vegetables. Hopefully she can keep it down. Sal will take her to a safe house in case the Ministry comes sniffing around."

Draco took a small bite of the chicken and examined Harry. The chrysanthemum-like hair had tamed into waves of dark auburn cascading down his back. The distinctive green eyes glowed in a delicate face, and the awkward angles had softened. His schoolboy nemesis had crawled out of a cocoon and morphed into a butterfly. Harry Potter's skin held the ethereal glow of a well-cast glamour, and Draco now knew that the Boy-Who-Lived was one of the exiled.

Harry cocked his head and gave an amused smile. Draco realized he had been staring.

"The chicken...it's very good. I didn't realize this...establishment...was a restaurant."

"This place is many things, but a restaurant it is not." 

Severus met Harry's eyes in silent communication. Draco was still attracting unwanted attention by the Muggles, and that Luna had been swiftly swept away from him into a secure room behind the bar had not gone unnoticed. 

"We'll take care of it," Harry whispered into Severus' ear. "You get rid of the ferret."

Draco set his fork down. He needed to return home before too many people noticed he was missing, but the cross-country escape route had left him physically drained. He took a sip of the strange sweet brown carbonated liquid Harry had provided with the meal.

Draco's mind was spinning with questions. Even if Harry had been exiled, it still didn't explain what he and Severus were doing in this Muggle cesspool. Hearing an abrupt change in music, his attention was drawn to the stage.

"What the fuck is he wearing?" Draco spluttered. 

Harry was on the stage with four other dancers. He was wearing a turquoise cap sleeved crop top and a matching flowing skirt riding low on his hips and slit up to his thigh. In the pulsing stage lights, he blended in with quartet, appearing to be a flat-chested woman. Almost in unison, their hips shimmied in a sensual motion, vaguely reminiscent of Middle-Eastern belly dancing, to a song alternating a man and a woman's voices.

Draco, of course, was unfamiliar with Muggle music. The woman was singing about her "hips not lying" and "reading signs of her body" and something or other being "perfecto"(2) The lyrics made no sense to him. He became aware of a surge of magic and waves of lust enveloping the bar. Every one of the Muggle men stared at the five dancers with glazed eyes, mesmerized by the sensuality of the dancing. 

The dancers all shared the same soft glow he had noticed surrounding Harry, indicating Harry was not the only magical creature in the bar. From the way several of the women arched, Draco could tell that they were feeding off the sexual energy in the room. The blond could feel a memory spell trying to access his brain; he slammed up his Occulmancy shields and drew back into the recesses of the booth.

"He's not totally human, is he?" Draco glanced back at the stage. "None of them are."

Severus had tuned Draco out. The older wizard's attention was focused on the dancers, or rather one dancer in particular. He watched his beautiful boy rotate his hips to the music, the muscles of his smooth stomach rippling. When he felt the magic of the memory charm fade he turned to the younger wizard.

"It's time for you to leave."

"I need to get Luna. I can't leave her in this place."

"You need to leave now." Severus stated forcefully. Harry was powerful, but wandless, he could only hold the charms for a limited amount of time. At Draco's mulish expression, he explained, "Harry has already sent her to Filius Flitwick. She'll be safe with him."

"I trust Professor Flitwick, but there is something evil going on here." He gestured to the dancers. The song had changed into something overtly sexual and the dancers were running their hands over their bodies in an indecent motion. "They're draining the Muggles! You need to leave before they drain you, too!"

"I am in no danger from my 'girls'. I am their protector." 

Draco looked on in horror as Severus' attention returned to Harry's body. The stark reality of the situation had become clear to him. Whatever creature Harry Potter became had ensnared the potions master.

"He's enchanted you!" Draco shouted, his voice drowned out by the pulse of the music. "You have to come with me!"

Severus smiled coldly at his former student as he released his wand from a hidden holster. Harry's magic was flickering and there was no time for Draco's dramatics.

"Oblivate."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Severus entered a final number into the small business bookkeeping software program and hit the "Enter" key. At the prompt, he clicked "Yes" and the program updated several spreadsheets. Muggle computers were amazing; he could not imagine how long it would have taken him to update the bar's books using ledgers, quills and a slide rule - even he wasn't backwards enough to use an abacus. He clicked on a tab and proceeded to work on the payroll.

When he finished the nightly paperwork, Severus placed the bank notes and coin from the bar register into a zippered leather pouch and placed it in the office safe. Since most of the patrons paid with credit cards, he would keep the cash in the safe until he made the bank drop the next day.

The office door opened and Harry came in. He was still wearing the turquoise dance costume, which was unusual for him. He usually changed into trousers and a shirt when he was off shift.

"Everything is locked up and I chivied out the last of the stragglers. Are you almost done? I need to set the security system before we leave."

While Severus closed out the business program and powered down the laptop, Harry perched on the corner of the desk. The skirt fell open at the slit, revealing a smooth, shapely leg, bared almost to the hip.

Severus ran his hand up the bare leg, watching Harry's eyes close in pleasure. His hand slid under the fabric, cupping a bare hip. His beautiful boy was not wearing any undergarments. He gently squeezed the warm flesh.

"Let me see you."

Harry inhaled deeply and then exhaled slowly several times. As he relaxed, the glamour gradually began to fade. His already pale skin lost even more of its melanin, fading to the color of milk, and his green eyes darkened. The bones in his face shifted slightly, changing the planes of his cheekbones. Finally, the tips of his ears began to elongate into a point.

The transformation was complete. Harry was part faery, a leanan sidhe(3) to be precise. Harry's creature inheritance had manifested during the early days of the Ministry of Magic's enforced purge of all wizards and witches that were not totally human.

No one could ever know that Harry was quarter leanan sidhe, because they were considered dark and dangerous creatures to the untrained wizarding public, and it would be grounds for his extermination. A very few of his closest friends knew he was no longer totally human and had developed fae characteristics, but only Severus knew precisely what type of faery he was. Without advanced notice, Harry just disappeared into the Muggle world one weekend, sealing off all Potter and Black properties with the help of the goblins, so the Ministry could not seize the assets. All mail was redirected to a discrete owl post office box.

Severus rose from the desk and pushed his frame between Harry's knees. He captured the sweet lips in a possessive kiss. Hungrily, he devoured his lover's mouth, his hands sliding beneath Harry's buttocks and pulling the slight wizard against his growing erection. Harry wrapped his legs around Severus' waist. The dark wizard slid a finger between Harry's arse cheeks and paused at the slick feel of lubrication. Sweet Circe, Severus thought, he had already prepared himself.

Severus thought briefly about whether it was practical to take Harry on the desk or against the wall. With a feral growl, he apparated them both to their flat. With Harry's legs still wrapped around his waist, Severus carried him into the bedroom, thankful that the quarter faery's bones didn't weigh as much as a human of the same build.

Using the older wizard for balance, Harry dropped his legs, his feet touching the bare wood floor only a few seconds before he was lifted and tossed into the middle of the bed. He laughed as he bounced. Obviously, it wasn't only the Muggles that were affected by that evening's dance.

Without removing his boots, Severus unfastened his trousers and dropped them to his ankles, followed by his boxers. He grabbed one of Harry's ankles and pulled him toward the edge of the bed. The fabric of the skirt rode up to the slender waist, tangling around the thighs. Impatient, Severus tugged at the flowing yardage, tearing it apart at the seams.

He grasped both ankles and spread apart Harry's legs, revealing a proud erection and a pre-prepared hole. Pulling both calves up to rest on his shoulders, Severus ran a hand over his cock, spreading the pre-cum over the tip before breaching Harry's opening. Harry keened as he felt the burn of Severus' thick cock stretching his channel. Severus rocked in and out before slamming home. 

Harry knew Severus was barely in control; that was the reason he had both stretched and lubricated himself and wore the skirt for easy access. While the wizard side of him enjoyed foreplay, the leanan sidhe side fed on the sexual violence. 

Severus took Harry hard and rough. Usually he favored a gentle seduction of his lover, but distracted by Draco's presence earlier that evening, the lust spell cast by his dancers had crept up on him unawares. Operating a bar that employed only those who were partial creatures, and whose blood contained various degrees of siren, vampire, succubus, veela, or faery, came with its own inherent dangers.

Severus knew he wouldn't last long and Harry just hung on, digging fingers into his back for leverage. He exploded, empting himself into Harry. 

As Severus waited for the pounding of his heart to calm, he lowered Harry's trembling legs to the bed. Harry propped himself up on his elbows, grimacing as he felt the ejaculate leak out and soak into the duvet beneath him. Merlin, he hated wet spots.

Severus patted one of Harry's knees and then pulled up his boxers and trousers. He tucked in the hem of his shirt and fastened the button and belt.

"Going somewhere?" Harry asked languidly.

"We neglected to set up the security system for "The Den" before we left. I will be back in a few minutes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
After casting proximity wards with his wand, Severus keyed in the Muggle security system. He closed and locked the main entrance and waited for the system to arm. Stepping beneath the awning, he noticed it had finally stopped raining.

"You're leaving rather late tonight, Mr. Snape," called out a friendly voice. It was a policeman walking the beat. 

"Trying to catch up on all the bloody paperwork," he replied. He made it a habit for people to see him physically leave the bar on occasion, just like a normal Muggle would.

"I know how that goes," the officer laughed. "You have yourself a safe trip home."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Severus walked into the small flat, but did not see Harry. He peered into the bedroom and saw that the sheets were neatly folded down, the duvet changed out. The sound of running water told him Harry was taking a shower.

Stripping down, he tossed his clothing into the laundry basket, atop the stained duvet. Stepping into the bathroom, he could see Harry's hairless body through the clear plastic shower curtain. 

He slid into the shower stall, wrapping his arms around the smaller man, his chest against Harry's soapy back. He leaned down and ran his tongue along the pointed tip of Harry's ear. 

Harry smiled, trembling slightly, his ear tips an erogenous zone. Wizard foreplay, he thought, time for round two.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Crawling into bed, Severus wrapped his arms around Harry, who snuggled against him.

"Tired?" he asked.

"A little," Harry admitted, placing a kiss on Severus' cheek. "What was Malfoy arguing with you about? I thought he'd never leave."

"He was trying to save me."

"Save you? From what?"

"Not a what, a who. He was trying to save me from your evil enchantments."

"I'm not evil," Harry replied in a huff, and then gave a slow smile. "Well, at least not all the time."

"He thought you were draining both me and the Muggles."

"You were just a hors d'oeuvre, not a main course. And I think even the Muggles might notice a room full of drained corpses. But it's not good that Malfoy realized we were feeding, not good at all." Harry burrowed against Severus' chest. "I thought you oblivated him."

"I did, but it wasn't precise and he's rather good at occulmancy. The real question is, if the Ministry questions him about Xeno's daughter, can he reveal our location?"

"Do we need to disappear?"

"Not yet, but soon. Since you sent Miss Lovegood to Fillus, he knows security has been compromised. He'll either send back up or shut us down." Severus kissed the top of Harry's head. "It's nearly dawn. We need to get some sleep, especially if we'll need to go to ground."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Two nights later, "The Dragon's Den" suffered a catastrophic electrical fire that left it a total loss. Thankfully, no one was injured and thick firewalls prevented the blaze from spreading to adjoining establishments.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
One Year Later  
Severus apparated into the small cottage he shared with Harry. Since leaving "The Dragon's Den," they now lived in an ancient, unplotable Peverell property that encompassed the entirety of Middle Mouse Island,(4) a tiny island just off the Isle of Anglesey in Wales.

He set down several packages on the kitchen worktable and then placed an overflowing satchel on the floor beside his desk. Finally, he removed his black teaching robes and hung them on a hook in the wall. Three days per week he taught potions at a small school of magic in Aberystwyth, Wales under the name Professor Prince and spent the remainder of his time on potion's research. Because potions brewing was an elective, and not a mandatory class past the first year, his Welsh students wanted to learn and were not the usual dunderheads he taught in Hogwarts.

"Harry?" Severus called out, and when he was met with silence, he checked out the attached greenhouse, but, that building, too, was deserted. Through the multi-pane windows, he could see a lone figure at the edge of the cliff.

On this inhospitable island, Harry seemed more alive than he ever had at "The Den." His skin lost its milk-white hue and had taken on a rosier glow. Leanan sidhe were rumored to have been born of the Irish Sea; perhaps the faery in him was responding to coming home.

Severus joined Harry at the edge of the cliff and gazed out into the sea. Ominous black clouds and whitecaps signaled a change in the weather. From a distance, they could see three small fishing boats heading for safe harbor. Although the Muggles thought the island uninhabitable, and had abandoned Middle Mouse Island to cormorants and razorbills, they actually shared the island with a small Selkie village, also hidden beneath the Peverell wards. Harry occasionally hiked down to the village with herbs and potions to barter for the catch of the day and basic necessities.

Harry brushed his windswept hair away from his face and inhaled the crisp, salty air. Waves crashed on the rocks below, and the faery in him embraced the music of the sea.

"Looks like a storm is rolling in," Severus said as he wrapped his arms around his beautiful boy.

"Within the hour, Harry replied, watching the last of the fishing boats disappear behind a rocky outcropping. "I'm glad you are home. It looks to be a wild one."

They made their way back to the stone cottage, the sturdy sea grass rippling. In the yard, Harry was attempting to grow a garden, but the poor soil and the salty air defeated his best efforts to date. Five chickens scurried about in an open pen, agitated about the approaching weather.

"If you can secure the chickens in their coop, I'll start dinner," Harry said, his green eyes sparkling. He knew how much Severus detested having anything to do with his chickens beside eating their eggs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Severus latched the last of the shutters as the rain lashed against the building. He watched Harry swaying in the kitchen to a melody only he heard. Harry steeped the tea in a large stoneware pot and completed the finishing touches on dinner.

Opening his satchel, Severus separated the contents into five piles on his desk - letters for Harry, letters for himself, potions research notes, newspapers and potions journals, and student homework to be graded. 

Severus leafed through that month's edition of _The Quibbler._ Luna, with the financial backing and protection of the Scamander family, was once again publishing the whimsical newspaper; the editorials, written by both Luna and Rolf Scamander, were even more biting than Xeno's ever had been. And since her printing presses were no longer on British soil, there was nothing the Ministry of Magic could do to stop her.

After washing up, Severus sat at the kitchen worktable and poured the tea into two mugs. Harry set a platter of lettuce wraps on the oak planks and sat across from his companion. Since his inheritance, he had been forced to radically alter his diet, and was now primarily a pescetarian(5), and knew the dark wizard had no such dietary restrictions. Harry nibbled on his lower lip, worrying that Severus would not like his latest concoction.

The potions master picked up one of the lettuce wraps, holding it gently with his long fingers. He took a bite, savoring the taste and texture of freshly smoked fish and a shredded slaw of raw carrots, cabbage and radish. The tang of a light lemon sauce tickled his palate.

"This is delicious," he said, and Harry beamed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
The shutters rattled and the wind howled, but they were safe and secure in their bed; the old Peverell cottage had borne worse storms than this. Harry rode Severus, the passion of his lovemaking mirroring the tempest outside. Severus ran his hands over Harry's sweat-soaked skin, ensnared by the waves of lust magic that enveloped them both.

Once, twice, three times, they reached completion. Exhausted, Severus slipped off into sleep. Wide awake, Harry kissed his beloved's lips and slid out of bed.

Severus awoke, hours later, to the continuing wrath of the storm and a cold pillow beside him. Slipping on his night robe, he wandered the dark cottage, the area illuminated only by the small candlestick he held. Harry was nowhere to be seen.

After lighting the stove and placing the kettle on to boil, he lit the oil lamp on his desk, the soft glow reflecting off bits of brass and glass in the room. He rummaged in his desk drawer, and retrieved a vial of _Pepper-Up Potion_ , which he placed in his pocket. Pulling his robe tightly around him, he opened the heavy wooden front door, the cold rain waking him completely.

Severus peered out into the darkness. Lightening illuminated the sky. A flash of white in the distance caught his attention. Not far from the edge of the cliff was his beautiful boy. Cold water running down his nude body in rivulets, Harry was dancing with wild abandon, unaware of anything except the rhythm of the storm, the faery in him feasting on the violent energy generated by it.

Shaking his head, Severus downed the vial of _Pepper-Up_ , slipped off his robe, and headed out into the storm.

Who would ever think to find Great Britain's premier potions master dancing with his muse, naked in the rain?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
FIN  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(1) Sally Ann Perks - a witch sorted just before Harry in _"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."_

(2) "Hips Don't Lie" - Shakira  
Songwriters: Jerry Duplessis, Luis Diaz, Omar Alfanno, Latavia Chufon Parker, Wyclef Jean, and Shakira Mebarak  
Published by: Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG PLATINUM SONGS OBO FIFA (FEDERATION INTERN. DE FO

(3) Leanan sidhe - a dark and unearthly beautiful Celtic faery muse, also known as 'the faery sweetheart' (Gaelic). She is said to bestow the gift of creativity and inspire genius. She is emphatic, compelling love and despair, longing and desire. The price of her gift is often heartbreak and obsession and artists possessed of Leanan sidhe live brilliant, but brief, lives.

(4) Middle Mouse Island - an uninhabited island on the north coast of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. It is also known as Patrick's Isle (Ynys Badrig - Welsh) after St. Patrick. It is home to many seabirds and divers often visit the many shipwrecks in the area. It has two sister islands - East Mouse and West Mouse.

(5) Pescetarian - the practice of following a diet that includes fish or other seafood, but not the flesh of other animals, and often includes vegetables, fruit, nuts, grains, beans, eggs, and dairy.


End file.
